News, information and resources about Austin I.S.D.'s Social and Emotional Learning Initiative

Social Consciousness Leads to Connection

Social Awareness is important for December social outings.

Happy December SEL fans, and welcome to the Fall 2019 homestretch! We invite you to explore Social Awareness with us this month, as it is perhaps the most party-full time of the year. Cultures all over the world have celebrations and festivals around the Winter Solstice and to mark our next trip around the sun. Practicing our social awareness skills can help us navigate these gatherings and prepare us for yet another year of interacting with each other!

What are these social awareness skills?

The definition from CASEL above frames our district’s work to build social awareness capacity for students and staff, and these skills are crucial in creating culturally-responsive learning environments where all students feel seen and welcome. Even beyond the classroom, social awareness skills are increasingly the most valuable professional skills around. According to Forbes, fully six of “The 12 Most Important Skills You Need to Succeed at Work” are directly related to social awareness. More than ever, companies are hiring based on capacities like leadership, communication, negotiation, and empathy. In an age where many jobs are becoming automated, it’s the people-to-people skills that require – well, highly-skilled social humans!

Connecting and Self-Caring

If we can grow our own social awareness, and then teach and model social awareness skills for young people, we help ourselves and each other build a strong foundation for essential human connection.

How do you plan to work on social awareness skills through December and into 2020? Let us know in the comments, and tag us on social media @austinisdsel! Happy, merry everything! We encourage you to practice radical self-care this season. See you in the new year!

I love the reminder about leaving room for others to speak their truths and recognizing each person has their own experiences, beliefs and perceptions. These are real and should be valued and acknowledged, not denigrated or dismissed.

The holiday season is a great time to practice social awareness. Families celebrate the holidays differently. We did a writing assignment where the kids explained how they celebrate the holidays. They shared them in class. It connected many students because some celebrated the same way but became interested in how other families and cultures celebrated the holidays. As a teacher it made me aware of these differences and to make sure that I was respected the differences.